Kingdom Builder
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Eric WatkinsFor many years, I knew darkness very well. I was raised in a Christian home and enjoyed a comfortable life. I made ungodly choices that led to me living a life of reckless behavior at a very young age. But, one day after experiencing God’s grace in my life after He had spared my life on multiple occasions from disaster, I looked in the mirror and told myself that I didn’t like the person that I saw.
In short, God made me a new man through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. God delivered me from a bad sinful habit and He healed me from a painful past, I still have daily struggles but, I know that God’s grace is sufficient in my life. I have enjoyed the pleasure of entrepreneurship and of serving on staff in local churches in both missions and Christian education. Through all of my life experiences – God has placed a passion in me to see those that have been marginalized, neglected and ignored come to know the love, hope, joy and peace that can only be found through faith in Jesus Christ. By God’s grace and for His glory, I was blessed to attain a BA in Finance from Morehouse College in 1990 and a Master of Christian Education from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in 2009. I am unworthy to be married to such a loving wife, Claudia, and to have three great children by marriage. |
Claudia WatkinsHER STORY
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Kingdom Builder
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Keondra SasfrassKeondra Sasfrass wears many hats with our organization. She is the Program Director, Senior Executive Administrative Assistant, and Literacy Mid-South (LMS) AmeriCorps Member Site Supervisor. As a child, Keondra loved working with computers and practicing with her graphic design tools. However, growing up that passion began to drift into other areas as she began to adapt a passion for working with children. She got my first experience working with children in 1999 as a babysitter for her family and their trusted family friends. In 2010, Keondra applied for her first childcare job as a Teacher's Assistant at Sensational Enlightenment Academy (S.E.A.). After being promoted to a Lead Teacher in January 2011, she dedicated several years working for childcare and mission centers teaching and tutoring children. In 2019, she earned her Associate of Applied Science in Graphic Arts from Independence University and then my Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education and Administration in 2020 from University of Arizona Global Campus (formally Ashford University).
In my role as the Program Developer, Senior Executive Administrative Assistant, and Literacy Mid-South AmeriCorps Member, her mission is to make a difference in the community, starting with the program she serve. Keondra's goals are to contribute her skills, talents, and motivation to increase reading proficiency amongst the youth, build the program's capacity, and increase community support by engaging the unique needs of the community members. She believes that to reach the youth, we must first get the parent's attention. She's passionate about this because today's children are the leaders of tomorrow, so we must use the gift of education to adequately prepare them for their future roles as leaders of the community. |
Program Developer
Senior Executive Administrate Assistant LMS AmeriCorps Member Site Supervisor |
Head Sports Coach
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Elijah GibsonElijah Gibson is the Head Coach for our Boys Baseball, Flag Football, and Basketball team with our organization.
He is a proud graduate of Mitchell High School's class of 2003. Growing up, I remember how my friends all played football and I knew from watching them practice that I wanted to play. One day I just joined one of their practices. The coach saw me and said, "Son, you can play, but you have to get permission first." I said, ok, but I knew my grandmother didn't want me to play football out of fear of getting hurt. I took the paper home as I was instructed to do and thought about it that whole night. I wanted to play football so badly that I decided that would shape the rest of my future - I signed the papers myself. It wasn't until three weeks later that I finally confessed everything to my grandmother. It took some convincing, but she ultimately decided to let me play. From that day forward, I was on the field every year. In my senior year of high school, I was an all-state football player with several college offers from the University of Arkansas, University of Miami, University of Georgia, and Lane College; however, my college dreams abruptly ended due to my sports injuries. After recovering from my injuries, I tried out for a professional arena football team - The Batesville Stars in Batesville, MS. In their inaugural season, I was the #3 pick, but the season was cut short soon after due to a lack of funding. I decided to hang up my cleats at that moment, but my passion for the game still burned in my soul. In 2021, Mr. Eric Watkins came to me to arrange a sit-down for us to discuss the possibility of me coming onto the team. We met that following day and that meeting led to me accepting a position as the Head Coach of the Athletics Department. From that meeting, we hit the ground running to start and build the Athletics Department that year. We began Red Door's first official baseball (Dodgers) and football (Stars) team. |
Kordissa PhilllipsMy name is Kordissa Phillips, but every one calls me Dee Dee.
I first became apart of the Red Door Family as a parent who saw all the work and resources Mr. Eric was bringing to the community. ndmother and aunt serve hot meals to the congregation and the community every Sunday evening. I remember going to the church every day after school and then having to get up bright and early every Saturday morning to prepare for the dinner the next day. It was just me, my little sister, and my cousins. We would set the tables while the adults cooked dinner. In doing so, we made sure the guest would have everything they needed to enjoy their meal. As we worked, we could smell the aroma of dinner filling the air. When we were done setting the tables, we would go and watch as the adults transformed basic ingredients into gourmet meals. As the years and days passed, I continued to be a servant of God’s work. In 2017, I began working for Giving Youth a Chance (GYAC) as a member of the Hospitality Team at Red Door Urban Missions (RDUM). While working at RDUM, I maintained high standards of customer service during high-volume, fast-paced operations, mastered keeping track of inventory being distributed, followed procedures for safe food packaging and presentation, and become a well-rounded food service worker in the process. My past experience and contribution helped me to create a pleasant experience for all the children and their families. Not to mention, the thrill I get when I see the faces of the children smiling back at me when I hand them their lunch and snack throughout the year. |
Hospitality Specialist
Lead Cheerleading Coach |
Routing Specialist
Sports Chaplin |
Tony ChristianHIS STORY
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